1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of screen cleaners, specifically screen cleaners for personal electronics such as computer tablets or cell phones.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, the use of touch screens in modern culture has dramatically increased with the introduction of touch screen cell phones, computer tablets, and navigational devices to name a few. Touch screens are not just exclusive to personal electronics, but are also commonly used on many devices frequented by large amounts of the general public such as ATMs, public transportation ticket vendors, and the like. With all touch screen devices, finger prints are an issue no matter the particular application in which they are used for. The output display, which also serves as the input “keyboard” soon becomes smudged or smeared with dirt, oil, grease or grime, making its use less desirable. The screens can also become unsanitary, particularly if used by a number of people, for example in a medical office or hospital for data entry by patients or staff.
There are a variety of screen cleaning apparatus specifically designed for cleaning a display or touch screen. Principally among these are screen cleaners that are manually moved along a track that push or pull a wiper across the screen. These screen cleaners may either be a separate standalone item or be permanently or temporarily coupled to the screen it is to clean. A sanitizer fluid may also be applied by the wiping means and then left to evaporate from the screen.
While these particular pieces of art are not without their particular successes, they are not without their faults either. The prior art methods of cleaning a touch or display screen do not involve any sort of drying other than natural evaporation. Evaporation can leave water marks or other spots on the screen which may require further cleaning. Additionally, many wiper mechanisms found in previous screen cleaning apparatuses do not have the capability of reaching the entire surface area of the touch screen effectively. What is needed is a method and apparatus for cleaning the entire surface of a touch or display screen that comprises an easy to use wiper mechanism with a means for drying the screen once it has been cleaned so as to prevent unwanted residue left behind by a cleaner or sanitizer fluid.